Recognising the power of rest

Rest is a must-practice for all teachers. Every teacher must endeavour to pause and recharge to continue well. This is because life must require maintenance for it to function.

Rest is an active activity that is deliberate. It must be included in our daily, monthly and yearly routines. Most time due to workload and busy schedules, we teachers tend to forget to catch up with our breath because we have already made up our minds even before our birth that rest is a show of inactivity or laziness. That is not true.

Here is what Jo Saxton said and I quote

"Rest is not the absence of activity but the presence of peace".

That means we are at war with ourselves and others when we fail to rest.

The teaching job is quite demanding except you are not a great teacher. It is demanding. Therefore, after giving all to inspire our learners, there is a need to refuel the lost bars.

We know what happens to our phone batteries when they are uncharged, they do not function properly. We also know what happens when we finally recharge the batteries. So stop and get recharged.

Taking time to rest as a teacher is one of the most productive services we can offer to ourselves. This is because, with rest, we get inspired too. Our cup will run over so that we can render great services to our learners and others.

The absence of rest can be suicidal for anyone, not only the teachers' because we are mortal. We are rechargeable and for us to have that, we must be connected to the power source of rest. At this time when the economic situation is dragging everyone around, let us be mindful of rest irrespective of the circumstances and chaos at a time.

This is because "when the mind is allowed to relax, inspiration often follows"`-Phil Jackson

The absence of rest can attract consequences on the body of teachers and learners around. Transfer of aggression is the first sign. This happens when a teacher unnecessarily yells or negatively reacts to learners without a cause. Even when there is, there is always a way to go about it. As it continues, learners will learn to withdraw their minds from the teacher's lessons. They may attend the class physically but without intellectual presence.

The teacher may eventually stop carrying out his or her task effectively. That is not even the only thing. The body might shut down partially or completely.

How do we rest? Some may ask?

Proper sleep is crucial. God gave his beloved sleep (psalm 127:2) Sit down, relax and look at the television. Fill yourself spiritually. Read the word of God to gather hope and faith. Talk with positive friends that will always encourage you and never put you down. Count your blessings. Be grateful. Submit your work early to avoid work pressures, this is where rest starts.

Take a vacation. By that, I don't mean you should get on a plane. You can go for a walk, swim, and visit good spots around you. You can go out with great friends to grab some cookies Above all, love your family and build a positive support system. Find what works for you and you will be fine.

Stay tuned. Something great is coming your way next week----------Don’t go away.

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Patience, a powerful teaching skill,why shake it off ?

Handling learners can be very challenging, and I know that.

I also know that handling learners with patience makes the journey easier and better. A closer look at patience shows that it is a virtue worth possessing by a teacher. It refers to self-control or discipline. "The capacity to accept or tolerate delay, problems, or suffering without becoming annoyed".

That means that it has a lot to do with a positive attitude.

Colossians 3:12 -13 encouraged us to wear the garment of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience when dealing with others. So why shake off your patience?

This particular portion of the Bible is for us, teachers. It teaches us that patience is a ‘must-grab’.

Patience is a powerful tool in relationships, especially in teacher/learner relationship. This is because learning is a huge process. It requires remembering, understanding, analysing creating, evaluating and so on. Therefore a teacher needs to be patient with learners to enable them to navigate the learning process authentically. It is not all about waiting, but waiting with a positive attitude, because you believe they will finish strong. The teacher/learner relationship is a great one and patience is required for sustainability.

Recall that teaching is like building a house, nothing about each process is easy but as you pass each level, the beauty unfolds. In fact, at the foundation stage, you don't even get to see the beauty of the house. Sometimes it might seem as if you are throwing a spoon of salt in the ocean. Never mind, do not be challenged by the struggles of your learners, continue with your patience. One day it will add up. Working to overcome the discomfort is your biggest advantage.

Patience is crucial. This is because diversity exists in our classrooms in culture, language, religion, learning styles and so on. These differences can only be incorporated and embraced totally with patience.

Impatience is never an option because with that we tear the learning walls down.

Finally, the beauty of patience as a powerful tool and impatience is deeply emphasised in the lines of a Chinese proverb which states that👇👇

This is a moment of reflection for us teachers to revisit and evaluate our practices to ensure that patience is in our toolbox.

I encourage all to embrace and nurture patience as a teaching skill because, without it, there will be no learning field but a battleground.

 Stay connected......

Recognising the baggage of life In learners-An essential skill

 Recognising the baggage of life in Learners

In our last episode, we talked about the Eclipse of learning -the shadow that masks the learning strength. Today, we are going to talk about the baggage that learners bring to the classroom. Baggage creates the shadow that masks learning.

Baggage can be in the form of sickness, loneliness, divorce or broken homes, death of a loved one, homelessness, trauma such as -rape, kidnap, physical and emotional abuse, poverty, hunger, I can go on………………….

Trials and difficulties are part of life. There is not one without an issue but there are some that are dealing with lots probably due to family orientation and environment. It is not their fault. Issues of life can be very overwhelming.

Baggage can cast a shadow on the learning potential of a learner if not properly handled. The behaviour and actions of a learner can also be negatively affected and this may mar the now and tomorrow of such learner by diminishing the light he or she is carrying.

According to Reed B. Markham,

"Future successes can be diminished by carrying baggage from the past, let go of the excess baggage".

Let me tell us something, learners with baggage do not drop the baggage at home before coming to school, they bring the baggage to the classroom. Baggage weighs heavily on learners no matter how small. We need to understand that.

.As a teacher, it is simple. You do not even need to worry about the nature of the baggage(s). You do not even need to ask the learner(s) about their issues. All you need is to simply incorporate into your plan 'the possibility of learners' coming to your classroom with the baggage of life'. Equip yourself positively with acceptance, empathy, patience, respect and hard work.

Accept the learners as they are and wear an encouraging look. Let them know you care even when you have no idea of their challenges. Help them to soar. Teach with tomorrow in view because learning is all about today and tomorrow. Remember if we destroy the learners of today, we will rub their impact on tomorrow.

Be better, act better. Do not be that careless teacher but be that builder that is ready to nurture and grow.

What out for more on active teaching and learning practices…………

Recognising the Eclipse of Learning

 

Eclipse of learning

This is a situation where the learning capacity of a learner is masked or delayed by circumstances. These circumstances can be environmental.

Solar Eclipse as we know occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth thereby covering the view of the sun from a small part of the Earth, partially or totally. A shadow is formed but it is temporary.

What is my message here? My message is that the eclipse of learning is caused by something, it does not just happen. The good news is that it is temporary-just for a moment. Eclipse of learning is everywhere in our classroom therefore, we cannot react to it but act accordingly to surmount it.

When a learner is having an eclipse, such learner’s learning capability may be masked and this may slow down learning for some time.

 As an educator, I have observed that some teachers react to the learners with eclipse rather than acting on the eclipse as the problem. Sometimes we tag such learners with certain tags or even harass them in class, building frustrations as if it is their fault. That has changed today because we have learned that it is not their fault.

As teachers, there is a need to focus on the eclipse and devise a possible means to remove the shadow and mask on any learner so that he or she can shine.

It is never the end of the road. All hope is not lost. Keep hope alive.

Approach the eclipse with empathy, patience and hard work. Accept the learner the way he or she is and support in every positive way you can. Show positive non-verbal expressions, read the learner's work carefully and always remember to give constructive feedback. Arrange for reinforcement if possible and seek help when necessary from your superiors. Carry the parents along and remember to keep hope alive with prayers.

Remember, every gold is hidden in the mud. The fact that it is in mud does not negate the fact that it is gold.

 Stay tuned for another important practice next week. Don't miss out👋👀👀out

Handover the learning power to the learners and quit the stage

We have seen that learners are partners in learning.

It is time to visit the active learning skills and practices to prove they are partners.

The first active learning practice is power handover. By handing over power, the teacher quits the driver’s seat and drops the learning vehicle key for the learners to drive their learning.

In our first post, we talked about quitting the driver's seat for the learners to drive their learning.You can read it in one of our episodes.

Transfer of power is a special skill and one of the greatest teaching skills. It simply means allowing the learners to take ownership of their learning. We should not deny them this. It is their learning right.

As teachers, we should not see the skill as a loss of power or weakness but as a skill that enables learners to swim in excellence. By power transfer, the teacher informs the learners that they are trusted to win. With that, learners understand that they are trusted with confidence to achieve excellence. Transfer of power does not mean learners' abandonment but is an indicator to show that they are valued partners in the learning process.

By involving learners, they are allowed to brainstorm and actively engage. They are assured that their voice and actions count. Everyone is carried along with none left behind.

With power transfer, the teacher does less talking and engages the learners with active activities.

Most teachers are reluctant to use this skill. What they do not know is that transfer of learning power boosts autonomous learning, self-discoveries and lifelong learning.

Once the learners know they can, they will not hesitate to try.

Sometimes, the fear of the unknown takes  a lot from us. I encourage you to try because it is a booster not only for the learners but for us as teachers.

Stay tuned-------Stay connected.....